A field short on numbers but long on global experience is lined up for the 27th running of the Woodbine Mile (G1T) Sept. 16.
Collectively, the six horses gathered in Canada have raced as far afield as Brazil, Japan, England, Ireland, and Dubai. In the Mile, they'll be shooting for a spot in California as the race is one of three Breeders' Cup Challenge events on the day's program providing "Win and You're In" spots for November's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.
While the field has a decided international flavor, one of the likely choices, War Bomber, is more a stay-at-home type. Only two of his 19 starts have come outside the Woodbine grounds—none since 2021.
War Bomber won the King Edward Stakes (G2T) in his last start Aug. 19, following a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) July 23 when his late run fell one length short of the winner. The gelding finished ninth in the 2022 Woodbine Mile but trainer Norm McKnight said things are different now for the 5-year-old by War Front .
"He's coming into this race in fantastic form," McKnight said after War Bomber was installed in gate 2. "I know the jockey, Rico Walcott, rode him last time. He won the King Edward on him. He was aboard on him the other day to breeze and he came back and told me he thought he breezed better this time, coming into the Mile, than he did (before) the King Edward.
"So we're really optimistic. I mean, it's a nice bunch of horses. I think anybody's capable of winning. But I think our guy's coming into the race in really good form and merits a very strong look."
A more globally experienced, albeit locally based, contender, Shirl's Speight , finished fourth in the 2022 Woodbine Mile, then parlayed that to a runner-up showing in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Keeneland.
The Charles Fipke homebred finished ninth in a bold, if quixotic, assault on the February Stakes (G1) against tough Japanese milers at Tokyo Racecourse Feb. 19. The Speightstown entire fared better in Dubai seven weeks later, finishing fourth in the Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan Racecourse. Returning home, he was fourth again in the King Edward.
"He's run some great races," trainer Roger Attfield said of Shirl's Speight. "Last year he was second in the Breeders' Cup. This is a prep race basically to get to the Breeders' Cup again this year."
Godolphin invades with Master of The Seas. The Dubawi gelding has missed a top-three finish only three times in 13 starts and all of those were in group 1 events. He was last seen winning the Summer Mile Stakes (G2) at Ascot July 15 in his return from a 13th placing in the Dubai Turf.
Master of The Seas has had his moments. He reported second in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket in 2021, a short head behind a quality horse in Poetic Flare, and finished third in the Jebel Hatta (G1), the "Super Saturday" preview for the Dubai Turf. William Buick is booked to jet in for the ride.
The remaining half of the field is trained by Mark Casse.
Ice Chocolat won three of his four starts in South America but has managed only two wins from 14 starts since shipping north after the 2021 season. The gelded son of Goldikovic has added four seconds and two third-place finishes to his total, most recently reporting third in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 12.
Casse also has Lucky Score, a Lookin At Lucky gelding coming off third-place finishes in both the Connaught Cup and the King Edward, and My Sea Cottage, who made his first graded stakes start in the Fourstardave, finishing fourth.
Woodbine, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 9Entries: Ricoh Woodbine Mile S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Master of The Seas (IRE) William Buick 124 Charles Appleby 1/1 2 2War Bomber (IRE) Rico W. Walcott 124 Norman McKnight 6/1 3 3Shirl's Speight (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 Roger L. Attfield 5/2 4 4Ice Chocolat (BRZ) Joel Rosario 122 Mark E. Casse 9/2 5 5My Sea Cottage (IRE) Dylan Davis 122 Mark E. Casse 15/1 6 6Lucky Score (ON) Sahin Civaci 124 Mark E. Casse 15/1
